Auxiliary armor mounting



Jul sl, 1945. Q. BERG 2,

AUXILIARY ARMOR MOUNTING Filefi May 17, 1943 INVENTOR, 005mm BERG BY C; J. I i ATTORN EYS Patented July 31, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention pertains to auxiliary armor for armored structures and particularly for armored vehicles.

When an armored vehicles goes into battle, it is often found that the enemy fire is of heavier calibre than expected and that heavier armor on the vehicle would be very desirable. It is known that the Germans, for example, fasten auxiliary armor plate to the armored walls of their vehicles merely by means of bolts. This arrangement is,

not entirely effective. A shot against the auxiliary plate causes some expansion or buckling of the plate, as a result of which the bolts are sheared and the plate falls off.

I have found that this difflculty is overcome if the auxiliary plate is formed with oversized holes receiving the supporting members that extend from the main armor. I have also found that the eiiectiveness against penetration is considerably increased by providing spaces between the main armor the auxiliary armor. If the wall slopes or if the bullet strikes at an angle other than normal, the bullet is deflected in assing through the auxiliary plate and then travels somewhat laterally to strike the main armor in a sidewise manner. This is obviously much less damaging than a continued movement of the bullet even along the deflected path.

In the preferred constructtion a number of spacers are permanently secured to the main armor and are formed with bosses extending therefrom. The auxiliary plate has oversized noles at which it is suspended from the bosses. The latter are longer than the thickness of the plate, and finally retaining washers are bolted on the free ends of the bosses so that there is no clamping on the outer surface of the plate.

'I'he'invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a vehicle equipped with auxiliary armor:

Figure 2 is a section on the line to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the travel of a bullet which has struck the auxiliary plate.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to desisnate corresponding parts throughout.

Figure 1 shows at least a portion of an armored vehicle I having armored surfaces 2 which might tection is afforded by mounting auxiliary plates 3 on the outer walls. For the side walls, the plates may be of uniform size and so dimensioned so that a number of them will substantially cover the side wall. The forward wall 4 would obviously require a plate of different design.

The mounting of the plates 3 is shown more clearly in Figure 2. A number of spacers 5 are welded or otherwise secured to the outer surface of the wall 2 at the selected points of support. From each spacer extends a boss 6, preferably integral, and of greater length than the thickness of the plate 3. The plate is suspended on the bosses at holes I which are oversized with respect to the bosses. The plate is retained on the bosses by washers 8 mounted respectively on the free ends of the bosses and secured by headed bolts 5 screwed into the bosses which are previously tapped for this purpose. It will be seen that the spacers 5 form a space Ill between the wall 2 and plate 3 and that the washers are spaced outwardly from the plate.

The oversized holes 8 permit looseness of the pltate 3 on the bosses 6. Consequently when the plate is struck by a bullet, the elongation of the plate will not shear the bosses or disturb the sup. porting means for the plate. Similarly, the spacing between the plate and the washers 8 protects the lateral retaining means, or the heads of the bolts, from being broken olf if the plate buckles.

The effect of the space Ill is illustrated in Figure 3. The wall 2 and the plate 3 are usually sloped, so that a horizontally traveling bullet It strikes the plate at an angle other than normal. The same relation exists when an singularly trayeling bullet strikes a vertical plate. In this relative angular direction of the bullet, in position A, there is greater engagement between the plate and the lower portion of the nose i2 than between the plate and the upper portion of the nose. Consequently the bullet is deflected upwardly and causes the plate to be peened at l3 inwardly above the bullet. This formation causes the bullet to proceed with a sidewise movement to the position C, striking the plate 3 sidewise and with comparatively little effect. If the plates were in contact with one another, they would have the effect of a single plate, and the bullet would proceed in the deflected direction indicated by position B. with much greater likelihood of penetrating the wall 3.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be desirably be further protected. This added pro- "mmmd that various alterations n e etails 01' construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an armored surface, spacers supported thereon, auxiliary armor plate engaging said spacers, supporting members extendin from said surface through said plate, said plate having oversized holes receiving said supporting members, retaining members on said supporting members and outward of said plate, said retaining members being larger than said holes and spaced from said plate when said plate engages said spacers.

2. In an armored surface, spacers supported thereon, auxiliary armor plate engaging said spacers, bosses extending from said spacers, auxiliary armor plate having oversized holes receiving said bosses, and means spaced from said plate for retaining said plate on said bosses.

3. In an armored surface, spacers supported thereon, auxiliary armor plate engaging said spacers, bosses extending from said spacers. auxiliary armor plate having oversized holes receiving said bosses, said bosses being longer than the thickness of said plate, and retaining means at the free ends of said bosses and spaced from said plate and of larger area than said holes.

4. In an armored surtace, spacers supported thereon, auxiliary armor plate engaging said spacers, bosses extending from said spacers, auxiliary armor plate having oversized holes receiving said bosses, said bosses being longer than the thickness of said'plate, and washers secured on the free ends of said bosses and spaced from said plate and of larger area than said holes.

QUENTIN BERG. 

